Effect of Immersive VR on Communication Patterns in Architectural Design Critiques

Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) systems hold a promise to affect design behavior by allowing users to experience presence, as they are embodied in the digital display. However, the lack of research articulating how embodiment enabling media change design behavior limits integrating iVR systems in design pedagogy with a well-defined framework. This paper presents the preliminary results from a case study of a work in progress comparing the communication patterns of critique sessions in an architecture studio in two kinds of media: iVR and non-immersive desk-crits. We employed protocol analysis methods to track the distribution of conversational turns and the first occurrence of design issues emerging over the different media. Results show that compared to non-immersive critiques, the iVR had a lower number of conversational turns and an increase in the first occurrence generated by students, indicating support in a learner-centered activity. Elucidating the effect of the communication medium on design behavior provides an empirical foundation for its inclusion in a design theory that encapsulates embodied cognition.